Shloka 33

सागरप्रशमनम् / The Pacification of the Ocean and the Building of Nala’s Bridge

Devanagari script

तैस्तुसंस्पर्शनंपापैर्नसहेपापकर्मभिः ।अमोघःक्रियतांराम: तत्रतेषुशरोत्तमः ।।।।

Transliteration

tais tu saṃsparśanaṃ pāpair na sahe pāpa-karmabhiḥ | amoghaḥ kriyatāṃ rāma tatra teṣu śarottamaḥ ||

Translation

Ich vermag die Berührung mit jenen Sündern, die frevelhafte Taten begehen, nicht zu ertragen. Darum, o Rāma, richte dorthin—gegen sie—deinen erhabenen, unfehlbaren Pfeil.

Word by Word

• तैः: by them; with those
• तैः: करण (Karana/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• तु: but; indeed
• तु: सम्बन्ध (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषणार्थक-निपात (adversative/emphatic particle)

• संस्पर्शनम्: contact; touch
• संस्पर्शनम्: कर्म (Karma)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संस्पर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पापैः: with sinful (ones)
• पापैः: करण (Karana; with whom contact occurs)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (substantivized: sinners)

• न: not
• न: सम्बन्ध (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• सहे: I tolerate; I endure
• सहे: क्रिया (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• पापकर्मभिः: by sinful acts
• पापकर्मभिः: करण (Karana; by/with sinful deeds)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पापकर्मन् = पाप + कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (sinful deeds)

• अमोघः: unfailing
• अमोघः: कर्ता (Karta; predicate for intended arrow)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अमोघ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण of शरोत्तमः (understood)

• क्रियताम्: let (it) be made; let (it) be done
• क्रियताम्: क्रिया (Injunctive/command)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive: let it be done/made)

• राम: O Rama
• राम: सम्बोधन (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: अधिकरण (Adhikarana)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• तेषु: on them; among those
• तेषु: अधिकरण (Adhikarana; target-location: among/on them)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), बहुवचन

• शरोत्तमः: the best arrow
• शरोत्तमः: कर्ता (Karta; subject of implied action)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरोत्तम = शर + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (best of arrows)

Context

"Rama! I cannot tolerate the touch of ones who are sinful in action. Therefore your (of descending this arrow down) mighty unfailing arrow can be released on them."

Characters & Entities

• Sāgara (Ocean)
• Rāma

FAQs

What is the core ethical principle (Dharma) in this verse?

Punishment must be discriminating: force should be aimed at culpable wrongdoers. The Ocean frames the arrow’s redirection as moral purification and protection of order.

What is the narrative situation?

The Ocean requests Rāma to use the already-prepared unfailing arrow against the sinful marauders rather than against the sea.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Justice aligned with purity: intolerance of sustained wrongdoing and the desire to remove harmful agents from a sacred/natural domain.